Penda’s Bauhaus Museum proposal features a transforming floor level

Penda's entry for the New Bauhaus Museum competition envisions a transformable building that includes two rotating platforms that can open and connect the museum to the surrounding sculpture park. The second stage of the competition is under way and the Chinese studio, with their "Flexible Bauhaus" proposal, has been selected as one of the finalists.

The simple geometry of the building references the aesthetics of the Bauhaus era, but it is the rotating elements that connect to the school’s tradition of technological innovation. The aim of the project is to establish a connection between different settings and functions in Dessau and create a responsive design that brings the campus into the twenty first century.

The museum site is located near active areas of Dessau. Surrounding by the City Park, the museum acts as an important landmark integrated into the campus. Thanks to the two rotating platforms, the building can open up and act as an invitation for people to enter the park and the museum. It is also responsive to the changing seasons and can adapt to varying occupancy loads throughout the year.

Public areas include lobbies, event spaces, museum store and cafe are situated on the lower levels of the museum in the two 9×56-meter cuboids. The volumes rotate around a stable core which houses staircases, elevators and building hardware.